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The AM I Collective | Rainbow Artists | South Africa
By Justin Ko
The mania of the 2010 World Cup has settled down somewhat, but the repercussions of the two week event are still being felt, especially in the realm of art. With the spotlight firmly fixed on South Africa and Africa as a whole, the World Cup presented a golden opportunity for African based artists to showcase their talents and send a message to the world. The AM I Collective, based in Cape Town, Africa, is a group of artists who did exactly that, commissioned by ESPN to create 32 murals shown in subways across the United States to represent each of the countries in the tournament this year.
These murals, which appeared in publications and on subway platforms and billboards in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and elsewhere from now through mid-July, marked an effort by the ESPN network to diversify their coverage and work more closely with members of the host country. The AM I Collective worked with the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency to create the murals, which are notable for their symbolism and evocative qualities.
"As South Africans, with the World Cup being hosted here, we're extremely proud to be associated with a project of this scope," said Mark van Niekerk, a founding member and partner of the AM I Collective. "We're called the Rainbow Nation and the artists who worked on the project were quite diverse--English-speaking, Afrikaans, a Zimbabwean, a few Muslims, and people across all races."
According to Niekerk, the murals were inspired by the style of Ghanaian movie posters from the 1980s. "There's a kind of naiveté to the style, but they're contemporary too. The origins are all Africa." The collective is also designed the poster for the World Cup opening concert, in Soweto on June 10, which featured the Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, Hugh Masekela, and others. However, the AM I Collective also emphasized the fact that they were going to be enjoying the festivities just as much as any of their fellow South Africans. "We're going to be screaming for Bafana Bafana," said van Niekerk. "And doing nothing much else other than that."
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July 30, 2010 at 1:57 PM
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